Mama

On July 29 I become a mama for the first time. We welcomed our little Finn into the world. I can't believe it's been almost 3 months already.

Throughout my pregnancy, I had been followed by a midwife and planned to give birth to Finn at the birthing centre. I went into the non-stress test appointment at 41+3 weeks and came home with a baby! Finn was doing well, but it seems that my amniotic fluid had either a) dried up or b) my water broke and I didn't know. I was induced that evening around 8 pm and Finn was born early the next morning at 4:36 am.

All in all the birth went well, though it was far from my hopes of a natural birth at the rhythm of my body working together with Finn. Pitocin is no joke. It's the synthetic hormone they give you to have contractions. It's a bitch actually. The epidural however, was glorious. So glorious that it made me dilate from 4-10 cm and Finn being born within an hour and a half of having it administered. I told Matthias, if I ever need to be induced again, sign me up for the epidural as soon as I can have it! I waited way too long and had too many threats of c-sections if my labour didn't progress (as if I had the ability to control it).

Newborn smiles captured!

The top two questions I get asked the most since being a mama:
1) Does he sleep well/through the night/long enough?
2) Was being a mama what you had expected it to be?

I miss this little face! Seriously, how cute is he?!

The answer to the first question is NO. Finn does not sleep through the night, under 3 months it's a bit unrealistic... but during the night he does sleep in 3.5-4 hour chunks. So Matthias and I are fairly well rested. He's slept well at night since birth.

The second question is a bit trickier to answer. Yes it is from the point of being tired and what "needs to be done" (i.e: diaper changes etc.). However I never thought of the emotional and "level of involvement" side of things through the newborn phase. I know how to interact with a baby who smiles back and reaches up for you to take him, but what about with a newborn? How does the role of being a mama get played out here? Well, in my experience, through snuggles and lots of 'em! We also were so blessed to have Finn smiling at us very early on (around 5 days old) and so that made it so much sweeter! To answer the question, no. So far, being a mama was not what I had expected it to be. It's so much better - it's sweet cuddles, smiles, unconditional love, tears (mine and his), fatigue, short showers, quick meals and long nights. But it's so beautiful and although I didn't expect it, I truly love it.

#Finninthefall

Final Instalment of the "Top 30 List"

So... it's been 6 months since I've turned 30 and thought it was time to update my list.
Unfortunately this is all this blog has been good for over the past years, but I hope that will change! 

1) Lie on my sand pile in Uruguay - best place on earth
2) Set foot on Europe, Africa & South Pacific (Australia & New Zealand)
3) See Barcelona
4) Watch a World Cup game in person -->> Done! Women's World Cup was in Montreal last year

 
5) Drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, BC -->> (although I didn't drive... I visited both Halifax and Victoria)
6) Drive the Ring of Kerry in Ireland
7) Decorate my OWN home --> Matthias and I bought our first home in May 2015!
8) Start & finish a book in the same year
9) Find that place in Panama that looks divine & go
10) Learn to salsa
11) Get my whole head professionally braided
12) Sleep under the stars on a remote beach
13) Celebrate New Year’s on a plane
14) Go on a cruise
15) Have an NBBI reunion with the people I miss!
16) Spend quality time on the beaches of Madagascar
17) Learn German -->> although not fluent yet, I'd say I'm not so bad!
18) Also, Portuguese & Italian (not coming along so much)
19) Get a great job at a good travel company
20) Spend a week or a few days somewhere with all my closest friends
21) Hold a NEWborn baby -->> Meet Finn! Our precious baby boy. Newborn snuggles are the best

 
22) Learn to take breath-taking pictures
23) Buy a sweet lens to take those pictures -->> bought a lens... it was stolen during a break-in :(
24) Sail in the Greek Isles
25) Be the maid of honor in a good friend’s wedding 
26) Visit my sponsor child in South Africa
27) Go for a two hour massage -->> done! it was amazing. How did this take so long to accomplish?!
28) Play with a small, domesticated white tiger
29) Skinny dip in the Caribbean Sea
30) Run through a sunflower field when it’s in bloom -->> did this a while ago, actually.

Conclusion: I accomplished 13 of 30 items on my list...
I hope to accomplish more in the years to come :) Until then, I'm going to snuggle my baby some more!